1969 – Civil Rights Protest Disrupts Harvard’s Commencement

On May 29, 1969, Black students and allies at Harvard University staged a powerful protest during the school’s commencement ceremony. The demonstration called for increased recruitment of Black faculty, support for the newly formed Afro-American Studies department, and greater inclusion of Black students. This protest reflected national tensions, as Black student movements across the U.S. demanded systemic change in elite academic institutions. The disruption symbolized a bold assertion of agency and redefined how racial justice would be pursued within academia. It led to concrete policy changes and the strengthening of Black Studies as an academic field. May 29 thus marks a key date in the history of educational justice and student activism. The protest at Harvard became part of a broader legacy that challenged Eurocentric curricula and opened doors for generations of scholars of African descent.